


10 Years Later

by bex2313



Category: H2O: Just Add Water
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:54:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24276187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bex2313/pseuds/bex2313
Summary: This is just a one-shot about where I imagine everyone would be 10 years after H20: Just Add Water ended. It's more fluff than actual plot, just so you know!
Relationships: Lewis McCartney/Cleo Sertori, Will Benjamin/Bella Hartley, Zane Bennett/Rikki Chadwick
Comments: 3
Kudos: 41





	10 Years Later

"Ahh, Lewis! I can't believe everyone is going to be together again! We haven't all been in the same room since Bella and Will's wedding! That was two years ago!" Cleo exclaimed brightly to her husband from the bathroom where she was putting the finishing touches on her makeup.

Lewis laughed at his wife's enthusiasm. "You girls meet up once a month. I don't know why you're so excited to see 'everyone.' It's not like us guys were ever really included in 'mermaid club.' But yeah, I know. I can't believe that after all this time, after all that back and forth, Rikki and Zane are finally going to tie the knot!"

"Oh please! You've been rooting for them for ages!" Cleo responded as she turned off the light and stepped into the hallway.

"That may be, but tell anyone else and I will deny it with every breath I take. Zane has always been a bit of a jerk."

"Well, Rikki's never exactly been overly complimentary about you either."

"But I've always known that she cared. In her own sarcastic and vaguely scary way."

"Yeah, well, let's get going! We don't want to be late for the Rehearsal Dinner!"

* * *

"Drs McCartney and McCartney, welcome to the rehearsal dinner!" Zane shouted excitedly from his seat on the porch of the old farmhouse where the rehearsal dinner was happening.

"You're late, Cleo!" Rikki added.

"Blame the other Dr. McCartney. He's late for everything!" Cleo said with a laugh as she and her husband stepped up to the porch. "It's so good to see you, Rikki!" Cleo let go of Lewis's arm and hugged her old friend tightly.

"Don't worry, I always blame Lewis," Rikki laughed. "It's good to see you too. Although you know that I saw you last week. And the week before. And every week since I moved back to town a year ago."

"Still! This is a big moment! You're finally getting married!"

"Yeah, well, we can't all have a perfect relationship from the beginning. Some of us take a little more time to get everything sorted."

"Because Lewis and I had a perfect relationship," Cleo said with an eye roll. "With our break up, then Charlotte, and then our three years separated while he was in America, yeah, definitely perfect."

"Well at least he didn't kiss another girl while you guys were dating and then pretend it didn't happen," Bella jumped into the conversation.

"Bella! You look beautiful! You're practically glowing!" Cleo exclaimed, pulling Bella into their hug.

"Yeah, doesn't she look so lovely?" Will exclaimed, coming up to the group. He shook Lewis's hand.

"It's good to see you, Will! Are you ready for the baby?" Lewis smiled at his old friends as Bella pulled away from the hug and rested her hand protectively on her stomach.

"Yeah, it's crazy I'm about to be a dad!" Will turned to Cleo. "I'm so glad you decided to go into medicine. I don't know how we would deal with all of the, um, extra complications without your help."

"I'm just glad to help, Will. That _is_ why I went to med school."

"And it helps that her husband does research on mermaids in his off-hours." Lewis chimed in.

"Hey, we work on that research together!"

"Well, that research was helped dramatically by _my_ introduction to the Mako pod. You're welcome," Rikki interjected.

"I love how we've all come back together lately," Cleo said with a smile.

"Yes yes, it's all lovely, but we're supposed to be celebrating Rikki's and my upcoming wedding!" Zane interrupted. "Let's go inside and start dinner now that everyone's here."

"Good idea. Emma is probably about to lose her mind. We're a whole five minutes late starting dinner," Rikki laughed.

* * *

After the dinner, Rikki, Cleo, Emma, and Bella all decided to take a swim over to Mako Island. The four girls floated on their backs in the moon pool, watching the stars and talking about everything and nothing.

"Can you believe you're getting married tomorrow?" Cleo said happily to Rikki.

"What I really can't believe is that I'm getting married to Zane!" Rikki laughed. "I can't believe after everything that he actually turned out to be a decent guy."

"Oh, whatever," Emma said dismissively. "We all knew you guys would be together eventually. It was a matter of when, not if."

"Says the girl who consistently tried to convince me to break up with him," Rikki retorted.

Bella rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm just glad _we're_ all back together again."

"You and I were never really _that_ far apart," Rikki said. "I mean, Will and I have been diving together for years now. He co-wrote my book, although he refused to accept any credit as a writer, which I'm now jealous of. I hate how much I travel. And apparently 'consultants' don't do book tours."

"But how often did we see each other before we reunited to meet the Mako pod four years ago?" Bella reminded her. "I was off touring with the band so often, and you and Will were so busy diving and Will and I were trying to keep up our relationship, so you and I never really saw each other."

"Yeah, but Will kept us updated about each other. So it kind of counts."

"No, it doesn't," Emma said definitively. "Just like it doesn't count that I've been emailing Cleo once a month since I first left the Gold Coast in school. We weren't seeing each other. And we drifted."

"Oh, whatever. At least we're all back now." Cleo said, trying her best to pacify her more pugnacious friends. "Emma, how's business going? Have any other events coming up soon?"

"Oh, nothing major. I got hired to do a company's Christmas party, but that's not for a few months, obviously. And then there's your dad and Sam's 10th anniversary party, but otherwise my schedule's pretty free. What about you? How's the medical practice?"

"I love my work. I thought being a GP would be boring, but I really enjoy it. Plus, it helps that I get to help you guys and maybe someday other girls who end up in the moon pool will find their way to my office, and I'll be able to help them too."

"Yeah, I'm glad I'll have someone I trust with my secret to help me deliver my child. I mean, other than Will, who swore that he would be fine, but I know he would pass out and leave me to do it alone," Bella said with an affectionate smile.

"Will's helped me out a tight spot or two," Rikki said. "I would trust him. Probably." She paused. "Well, maybe not. He can be a bit squeamish."

Bella laughed outright at that. "That's an understatement."

"So, speaking of romantic partners, Emma. Wanna tell us what's up with you lately? You mentioned something about a date for the wedding a few weeks ago." Rikki raised her eyebrows at her friend.

Emma blushed. "Well. Like you, after we all reconnected here to meet the Mako pod, I got to thinking about the past. And, well… I called Ash. Just to see how he was doing. He was never really a part of our group, since he only found out our secret right before I left with my family, and he was heading off to uni anyway. But we've chatted a few times over the years, and then six months ago when I decided it was finally time to relocate here, he helped me out with finding office space and connecting me with some corporate clients. You know, since he's a real estate agent. Then he asked me to coffee, and we've been sort of seeing each other ever since."

The other girls squealed like they were still in secondary. "Does he know?" Cleo asked.

"We haven't talked about it, but I can tell that he wants to ask," Emma admitted.

"Are you going to tell him?" Bella queried.

"I'm going to wait and see how things go. I don't want him to know anything he doesn't need to know if we aren't going to be together long term." Emma's voice stayed perfectly even, which told the other girls that she was trying very hard to keep her emotions in check. But before anyone could respond, they heard a loud voice.

"Ow! Zane, I told you to wait!"

"Lewis, what are you doing here? Will? Zane?" Emma scolded when the guys appeared from the tunnel.

"We decided to crash mermaid club. Since really, we're honorary members," Will said with a charming smile.

"I just wanted to see the future Mrs. Bennett before she actually becomes Mrs. Bennett," Zane said with a sly grin as he crouched down next to the moon pool. Rikki came up next to him.

"Is that so?" Rikki said and she lifted herself to kiss her fiance.

"Oh my gosh, is that the time?" Emma exclaimed when she saw Lewis's watch. "Girls, we have to go! It's almost midnight! On the night before the _biggest day of Rikki's life!_ We have to make sure we all have everything! All of our jewelry and dresses and shoes. Not to mention, Zane can _not_ see her before the wedding!"

"Okay, okay, we can go," Rikki said annoyedly. "Sorry Zane. See you tomorrow!" she said as she slid down under the water.

Cleo and Bella waited a moment. "Speaking of jewelry, Lewis, did you manage to fix Bella's locket?" Cleo asked her husband gently.

Lewis gave her a winning smile. "Was there any doubt?" He pulled a locket with a purple gemstone from his pocket and handed it to Bella.

"Thank you, Lewis! I didn't want to entrust it to anyone else!" Bella exclaimed and fastened it around her neck before following Rikki and Emma and zooming away.

"I'm just glad you convinced Max to make it back then. I never thought of it," Cleo said with a smile.

"It's really a shame that Will and I had the same idea. You know he sent Emma a moon rock necklace that same week?" Lewis laughed.

"I never realized that's how she got it!" Cleo exclaimed.

Will laughed. "It just always seemed like all four of you should have necklaces from the moon pool. Since this place means so much to you all."

"Well, I'm glad. Those necklaces remind us of how connected we are. Thank you both," Cleo smiled at her husband and her dear friend. "I've gotta go. I know Emma will be on the warpath if I'm not back soon." And with that, Cleo too slid down into the water and swam quickly away.


End file.
